Too little
by laura2314
Summary: Dick is growing up, and Bruce's having some problems with that.


Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, I'm just taking them borrow, they belong to DC.

A/N: I know this story is no the one that I promise to publish in my profile but I think the others stories I wrote are terribly, so I decided to post this instead. Maybe, someday I would publish the others but I'm not sure.

* * *

"So, it's a date, then?" Dick was talking by the phone near the stair, he was so caught up in the conversation that he didn't even hear Bruce entering home.

Bruce was entering with couple of bags, he was about to ask Dick for some help when he heard the conversation, he was instantly curious who Dick was talking that he decided to hear a little more.

"Well no a date like a real date, it was just way of saying, y'know"

Bruce was amused for that, any girl that actual bought such a silly lie had to be really stupid, and he thought he had taught the kid to lie better than that. But he guessed the boy was nervous and that was the best excuse he could come out now.

"Ok ok, it was a poor choice of words, but you're still on board, aren't you? You're, that's great! So we'll see Friday at night, around seven o'clock? Yeah, bye:" Dick hanged up; he still wasn't aware that he was being watched so he was surprised to hear someone clearing his throat. He quickly turned around to see who the intruder was. "Bru-ce…What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be here like for another two weeks."

"I'm gone for a few weeks and this is the welcome I get, what happened to the little eleven years old that would come crushing to me for a hug?"

"Well, that little boy has grown-up a bit.─ Dick answered grinning and jumped to give Bruce a hug─ But he's still very happy to see you and missed every minute you were gone."

Bruce slowly gave back the hug, he may have asked but he wasn't a hugging person type, still it was nice to be back in home with the persons he treasured the most. Though, he broke up the hug pretty quickly.

"I'm sorry for before, I didn't mean it like that, it's just that I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Business ended quicker than I anticipated, so I decided to come back home early."

"Why didn't you tell us? We would have gone to pick you, or wait did you tell Alfie but not me?"

"No, I didn't tell Alfred, I wanted it to be a surprise."

"You sure got that…then at least let me help you with your bags, we have a lot to catch up…"

"Dick…─Bruce stopped the boy before he got rambling nonsense; he had a tendency to do that, ─ I'd like to know if not too much to ask who was the lucky lady that I heard you talking by the phone just a few minutes ago."

Dick had already grabbed one of Bruce's bags but he stopped when he heard what Bruce said. "Oh…so you heard that, didn't you?" he answered slightly embarrassed.

"Very little but enough to get my curiosity awaken."

If anybody else has been, Dick may have said something about privacy but he knew that the Bat could care less about that, besides he didn't think telling Bruce the truth would be such a big deal.

"She was Babs."

"Babs…as the commissioner's kid, that's the Babs that you mean?"

"Yeah, that one, you know her, you even like her so you don't…"

"Absolutely, not." Bruce cut him off.

"What? Why not? If it is because of patrol, I could…"

"It's not, it's because you're too little for her."

"She's only twenty-two" Dick answered getting a bit confused and agitated.

"And that is seven years, you're only fifteen"

"I'll be sixteen in a few months!" Dick answered raising his voice.

"That's hardly the matter, and even if you were sixteen you'd still be a minor to her."

"It's not that much age difference, and I have classmates that date with guys older than that, nobody ever says anything to them, I don't see what the big deal is." Dick answered with full attitude in his voice.

"It's a big deal; I don't care what your classmates do."

"It not like she was forty or something, you're overreacting. "Dick answered flippantly.

"I'm not and you're not going to…"

"C'mon, Bruce, you can't make this to me, I worked to get the money for this date…"

"Wait, you worked…"

"Well, yeah. I wanted to pay for it myself, so I got a job for the summer; I'm giving class to a boy a few years younger than me."

"You'll quit that job immediately."

"What? Wait, what was it wrong with me having a job? I'm only doing for the summer, and I only go there once a week for three hours."

"Nothing, except that according to the law you have to be sixteen to get a job, you're too little for that."

"Oh, for pity's sake, you gotta be kidding with me!" Dick shouted throwing Bruce's bag to the floor, he was totally pissed, he couldn't believe anything of this shit.

"I'm very serious; I don't joke around much…"

"But I'm old enough to be your partner, lead the Titans, all too sudden am I too little for this?" Dick cut him off.

"I was always opposed to you leading the Titans, I only agreed to that because you showed to be mature enough for that, and regarding to being my partner I have to. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened to you. Now, you're cancelling this date, you'll quit that job, what's more you're grounded."

"What for?" Dick snapped harshly. Bruce was being unreasonable, and he was getting out of his patience.

"For that exactly, you've been totally disrespectful to me since I said you couldn't go to that date"

"Can you blame for that? You're being unreasonable since you find out who I asked out" Dick almost shouted out, he was truly mad with Bruce.

"I'm not being unreasonable, I'm just trying to look out for you…"

"That is bullshit, I don't have to listen any of this shit, I'm going out with Babs…"

"You even tried to put a foot out of this residence; you're going to regret it."

"Whatever" Dick said rolling his eyes and turning around to start for the stairs.

"Where are you going? We're not finish talking."

"We're finish as far as I'm concerned; you aren't listening to me anyways. And, I gonna my room, I'm grounded, right? Or am I too little for that too? "Dick said the last words sarcastically.

* * *

Dick entered to his room slamming the door pretty hard, he was mad; he couldn't understand why Bruce was acting like that. He had every right to be pissed… Ok, so maybe, he was a little too much disrespectful back there, but Bruce had made him so much angry…he meant he could even understand that Bruce got an argument in regards to Babs, but the job thing, was he for real? Besides, he totally rested his case he had classmates that dated with guys older than this. What was more, being this was Babs, there was hardly something really happening if there was even a kiss he would be surprised, they were mostly friends. They had nothing serious or anything like that. He did want to go further, but Barbara was always pulling restrains, she did too a fine job to remember him how much younger he was. Dick walked near to the balcony, he opened up wanting to feel the fresh air, he was trying to clear his mind. He still planned to go on in that date, he didn't know exactly how he was going to snuck out from the house but he'd figure out. It couldn't be so hard, he was Robin after all. He was aware that he was going to have to quit the job; he couldn't escape every week without getting caught, and he figured he would have to tell something to the team, maybe he could leave Donna in charge for a couple weeks. One thing was for sure, he would have to come up with a good plan, this was the Batman after all.

* * *

Bruce for his part was pretty much upset; he wasn't planning to get in argument the minute he got home, he thought about going after the boy but then he decided that maybe it was better to let things calm down first. He was about to carry the bags to his room, but he was so upset that he decided to drink something to calm him down first. He let the bags near the stair, and he decided to go to the kitchen. There, he found with Alfred that was cleaning , they greeted each other, Alfred was glad to see him but he was also fast to see something was disturbing him, so naturally he asked what was the problem.

"Nothing…─But Bruce could see the old man's eyes were boring into him─ Ok, so maybe Dick and I got into a little argument."

Alfred tasked. "What did you do?"

"ME?! Why is that always I'm the one that did something wrong? Ever come to mind you that maybe it was Dick who was mistaken? ─ Alfred just kept staring him until Bruce conceded ─OK, so maybe I was little mistaken back there, but that boy was very disrespectful and he was mistaken too."

Alfred exhaled as he heard Bruce's words; he had already an idea why the argument might've been. "Please tell me this has nothing with the date Master Dick was with Miss Barbara."

"You knew about that?" Bruce answered a bit shocked, as he opened the fridge to take a bottle of water, he closed it. And he grabbed a glass to serve himself some water.

"Of course, I knew about, that boy tells me everything. And he tends to flirt with her, everytime she's around."

"He does? ...Oh…then I guess you already tell him that he couldn't go, right?" Bruce answered as he took a sip from his glass.

"No, I actually didn't. In fact, I gave him a couple of advices and encourage him to go."

"You did what? Alfred, you can't be serious, please tell me you're not serious, he's way too young to start dating."

"Oh, so I see…"Alfred answered, chuckling to himself, he could already saw what was really troubling Bruce, and why was he so upset with the matter at hand.

"What do you mean by that? And don't give me that look, I know that look already, you always gave me that look when you're into something."

"I only mean I know already why you're so much upset that Master Dick is going to this date, you think he's too much young to start dating, you're having hard time learning he isn't the little kid that would go running around the house."

"First of all, he's not going to any date because I strictly forbidden him, as a matter of fact, I grounded him because he was quite rude and disrespectful to me when we were arguing back there, so he's not going to anywhere. And second, I'm not opposed to him dating because he's too young, I'm opposed to him dating with Barbara because she's way older for him. Please tell me you see my point of view, she's seven years older than him, for Christ's sake!"

"And that's exactly why they should be dating. ─ Bruce was about interrupting him not following the reasoning of the old man, but he was quicker to halt him with a gesture of his hand.─ I don't know about you, Master Bruce, but I think that it'd wonderful idea, actually I couldn't have chosen a better candidate myself. I mean think about that, we already know Miss Gordon, we know she's thoughtful mature young lady, and I have completely faith that nothing is going to really happen. She might be friendly and nice with Master Richard; however, she'd hardly ever allow things to get serious with him. She realized that there is an age problem, and she' quite intelligent to know that Master Richard is not ready to be in a mature relation, at least not now. There is no doubt in mind, than nothing really important would happen in that date. What's more, if you oppose to this date, you'll only manage to bring them together even more strongly. Instead, you let them date; they would probably figure out pretty fast that they're just not ready for each other, and the relationship would cease before you even noticed it."

"What if you're wrong? What if they don't break up? What if they find a way to make it work? How can you be so sure that is not going to work?" Bruce voiced out aloud his fears. Though, he could understand what Alfred was saying, he could see his point of view, he wasn't so easily convinced that everything would solve for itself.

"Master Bruce, please, we have know Miss Gordon since she was a little girl, do you really believe that she's not mindful enough to not know that Master Dick pretty young to ever be actually involved in a real relation? Furthermore, they aren't really in love or anything like that, the boy has a mere crush on her. He's intelligent enough to know that, eventually, he'd be aware that he doesn't really have much a shot with her, and he'll move on. Besides, I'd prefer him to be dating with Miss Barbara, that I can rest assure that would something hardly ever happen, that he dating some girl around his age and getting her pregnant, wouldn't you? "

"I'd prefer him not dating with anybody! He's way too little be dating anyways, he's still just kid." Bruce hastily answered, not really thinking in the words he was using, he couldn't believe that Alfred didn't agree with him. And when he mentioned the possibility for Dick to get a girl pregnant, he kind of lost it, he couldn't believe that Alfred would subject such thing, the thought had never crossed his mind.

Alfred gave him a pointed look "Oh…But I thought you said you didn't have any problem with him being too young to start dating, you were ok with that, the only thing that troubled you was that Miss Barbara was a bit older than him."

Bruce was speechless for a moment there, Alfred did have a point there, he had just said the boy was too little to be dating. He closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge his nose, he started to realize that Alfred was right, he wasn't really all that upset because it was Barbara the girl that Dick was planning to go out. He hadn't really like the idea at all when heard the conversation, he was already quite upset that the boy was planning a date but he had tried to push that thought away, though he couldn't help that thought to surface the minute he asked about the conversation to Dick, and he'd probably had said not without really matter what girl was. Bruce finally managed to collect his thoughts there. "Ok…you got me there─ Bruce admitted like he was saying the hardest words ever in the planet, he hated that Alfred was almost always right.─It's just that is so hard to admit it, Alfred…I mean, when did he stop being my little boy and started to be a rebel teenager?"

"Well, it didn't exactly happen over one night, he has been growing up for some time now; you have known this for a while now. Though, while I'd admit that he can have bad temper and pretty darn stubborn sometimes, he's far cry from being a rebel teenager. If you asked me, Master Bruce, you and Master Dick are starting to seem more similar as time goes by. "

Bruce chuckled as he heard Alfred's words. "You're probably right in that too. ─ Bruce said as he took another swig from his drink. He sighed, as he prepared himself for what he was going to do. ─I guess then I should go to tell him that he has my permission to go out in a date with Babs"

"You'd probably should. I assured you that they're probably going out like friends. Even though, that doesn't mean that you should exactly let him off the hook with being disrespectful to you. It doesn't matter if you were right or wrong, he was hardly mistaken to ever be disrespectful even if he had a reason to be angry with you."

"Oh, he might have more than one reason to be angry with me; I believe I let a few details out of what happened back there. Though, you're right he was pretty disrespectful, and he isn't exactly getting away with that." Bruce spend a few minutes more talking with Alfred, as he explained better the argument to the older man, and he also told some about his trip. He took advantage of the precious time for him to relax, before deciding to get some braveness to face a moody teenager.

* * *

Bruce knocked the door from Dick's room, only to get a fast but disappointed answered. "Go away, Bruce!"

The young teenager yelled back, he knew he was pushing his luck, but he could care less. He didn't feel like talking with Bruce right now, he wasn't in the mood for another argument, he wasn't going to change his mind and he doubt Bruce would ever did. He could be the most stubborn controller overprotective person he had ever met, and while they mostly get along well because they understood each other and they had come to work family dynamic, Bruce still sometimes had ways to get on his nerves like anybody else. Besides, he was a bit worry that if they tried to talk now, things would only escalate for worst.

Bruce sighed remembering himself to stay calm; the boy was still young and he was mostly upset, and he didn't really mean that. He cracked up opened the door a little, there he saw the boy was lying in his bed, reading a book, with his legs crossed over the other. The boy glared back to him, and Bruce pressured to talk. "I really think we should talk, Dick, please can I come in?"

Dick rolled his eyes; he closed the book, put it over the nightstand near his bed, and sat up laying his head over the wall. Before, he answered. "You're probably going to anyways, whether I say 'yes or no' isn't really important. So by all means, please come in and get yourself comfortable." Dick said the last words spitefully and with tinge of sarcasm.

Bruce closed his eyes for a second trying to find his center, the boy was really trying to wear out his patience, not that he ever had much to begin. Though, Bruce was determined remain compose over the conversation, that didn't mean he was willing to put up with that much attitude for any longer. Bruce swung the door open with full force; he stepped up into the boy chambers with an intimidating posture and a resolution in his eyes that made you remembered that the man was Batman yet the boy didn't even flinch.

"Dick, I'm trying to be considerate and respectful with you, now I know you're upset with me. But I came here to try talk and patch things up, and I'd very thankful if you tried to regard me with the same courtesy that I'm offering you." Bruce said very serious, in the tone that anyone could notice that he was slightly ticked off and it wasn't such a good to keep pushing his buttons.

Dick blinked his eyes and sighed as he crossed his arm glancing back to the wall. However, he was trying to calm himself down, he might be upset, but he wasn't suicidal either, he recognize that tone of voice in Bruce and he knew Bruce wasn't exactly the person that someone would want to mess things up.

"What do you want, Bruce?" Dick finally answered in a much softer tone. He knew he wasn't being the best example of respectful, but he couldn't bring himself to give a better answer, and he kind of hoped that was enough.

Bruce exhaled, he wasn't exactly thrilled for Dick's behavior, but he figured that it a small improvement for the moment. He threw his hands to his pant's pockets as he entered further into the room.

"Like I said, I know that we're not in good terms right now between us, and I wanted to see if we could sort things out. I understand why you're upset, I've had some time to thinks facts over and calm down, so I'm willing to admit I might have been mistaken in a couple of matters."

Dick quickly stared back at him; he couldn't believe that Bruce was kind of apologizing. "You… mistaken? ─ Dick answered back confused, that he repeated the words like he couldn't believe what he was listening. ─ I mean, you were…so did you come here to say me that…?" Dick tried to answer the best he could, he was still holding his posture but he was trying to be as polite he managed to be.

"I was wrong about the job; you can keep it until you start school over again." Bruce subtly responded to him.

"Oh." Dick said not knowing exactly what to answer, he was bit shocked for that. To tell the true, he had kind of forgotten about it. He had really hoped that Bruce would let him go out in the date, and he was little disappointed over that. Despite that, he didn't dare to voice aloud his disagreement; he knew it was practically worthless anyhow.

"And you can go out in that date with Barbara, if you still want to. " Bruce said grinding back to the boy.

"I can? You're seriously letting me go, you are not messing up with me, are you?" Dick asked surprised bit suspiciously, he didn't want to get him hopes up for nothing.

"Have I ever lied to you? Of course, you can go, though I expect you behave like the perfect gentleman that I know you're and you get back here in a reasonable hour."

"Around 12?" Dick asked testing his luck.

"Good try, 10 o'clock is more than enough."

"Bruce, come on…" Dick pleaded.

"10.30 take or leave it. It's my last offer."

"I take it...Bruce, thank you so much! What made you change your mind?" Dick couldn't help to ask, he still couldn't believe that Bruce would so easily go back in his words.

Bruce sat up in the bed, next to Dick, as he patted his knee. "I talked it over with Alfred, and he made me see that I was mistaken no wanting to let you grow up. To tell you the truth, the real problem is not Babs here, I'd have said 'no' not matter who was. I guess that…I'm having a hard time seeing my little boy growing up and not being overprotective. ─ Bruce admitted joking; Dick instantly flushed and looked aside feeling a bit embarrassed. He wasn't still comfortable when Bruce referred to him like that. ─ Though, we also agree that you were out of place being disrespectful with me, It doesn't make any difference if I was wrong or not" Bruce said in a much sterner voice.

"Bruce, about that, I'm so sorry. For real, I know that I was way out of line; I dunno what came over me. I was about to apologize, honest." Dick rushed to said, he did truly regret what he had said and he had been thinking how to approach the subject, Bruce just beaten to him at that.

"Dick, I'm not mad with you. Though, I'm a touch disappointed."

"Someway, that only makes it worse." Dick replied, his emotions had quickly changed from excited to a broken hearted boy. He had dropped his chin, and his gaze had fallen into the sheets.

Bruce put his hand in his chin, lifting his gaze up for the boy to be looking into his eyes. "Richard, I know that you can be better well-manner that what I see tonight, it doesn't matter if you think I'm wrong or not. I expected it a bit better from my partner yet I think that it must be that horrible hormones that mess you up when you're a teen, however, that doesn't exactly excuse for your behavior. That's why you're grounded for two weeks, the only exception for you get to go out is in that date and when you go to work."

"Two weeks?" Dick asked with a wince.

"We can make it three, if you wish."

"Two weeks is fine. It's perfect…Bruce, I'm really sorry for disappointing you, I'm serious, it really wasn't my intention. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm such stupid…" Dick was rambling apologizes, he couldn't actually figure out a perfect way to apologize, and he was just saying whatever thoughts came over to his head.

"Dick, I may have not been very proud with your previous behavior, that doesn't mean I'm not proud of you. You're intelligent fine young man, that couldn't make me more proud, you've just minor setback back then. I'm sure that would not happen again, right?" Bruce cut him off; as he pushed a lock of his hair back his ears.

Dick nodded, as he felt guilt crush over him when he heard Bruce's word from praise. "I was planning to sneak out, if you didn't let me go out in the date." Dick said hastily, before he lost all courage he could ever managed to gain.

Bruce heard the confession, he hadn't been expected to hear something such like this, he took a few minutes to gather this new information. Finally, he managed to come up with an answer to this new piece of knowledge. "You do realize that if you haven't told me about that, I'd have never been aware of this, don't you?"

Dick nodded quietly, his eyes were fixed in his hands but he mustered enough to glance back towards Bruce, a tear started to leak from his eyes. "I'm so sorry." Dick mumbled.

Bruce brushed the tear away; Dick buried his head under his chest wishing to hide from the world, Bruce pressured to hug him back to calm the boy nerves. After a moment, Bruce noticed that didn't really help all that much instead the kid was only getting more worked up by minute, so he half-broke the hug, putting a bit distance between each other, he made sure the young man was looking back to him. "Hey, hey, it's going to be alright, ok? ─ Dick nodded, as he cleaned the tears with his sleeves, he was a bit embarrassed that Bruce was seeing him crying. ─ What am I going to do with you?" Bruce asked rhetorically.

"Lock me up in a tower and threw away the key?" Dick asked jokingly, as he tried to calm back himself trying to lift up mode.

Bruce chuckled. "Don't go giving me any ideas.─ Dick small smiled back to him, a few seconds later Bruce took a more serious posture ─ Dick, while I appreciate you telling me truth, I'm not very happy to hear you were so eager to disregard my orders that quickly. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir."

"I'm still letting you go on that date, this time, so consider yourself lucky that I'm feeling generous. But, I want you to write over 200 'I'll mind and respect Bruce's orders`, for tomorrow morning."

"Ok, ok, I can do that"

"Now, Richard, while your action might have not been the best today. I want to be very clear that I couldn't be most proud of you. You've been always the best of me. So stop looking for excuses to make me mad with you, you didn't make nothing that horrible that a normal teen wouldn't do."

"I wasn't…─Dick started to say; as he saw the way Bruce was staring to him. ─ok, so maybe I was little, It's just that I'm so so…"

"And stop apologizing; you've done that a million times already, I've forgive you. Are we good, now?"

Dick grinned back to him. "Best than ever." As he hugged back to Bruce.

* * *

Review, if you wish.


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